Straight and complement punch



Oct. 18, 1932. I R. LORANT 1,883,308

STRAIGHT AND COMPLEMENT PUNCH Filed July 5, 1929 5 Sheets-:Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

Oct. 18, 1932.

R. LORA NT STRAIGHT AND COMPLEMENT PUNCH Filed July 5, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NGE j?ventoz mg g Oct. 18, 1932. R. LORANT STRAIGHT AND COMPLEMENT PUNCH Filed July 5, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3.

FIGA. i

; pgwvemto'c (l t tom STRAIGHT AND 60MPLEMENT PUNCH Filed July 5, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6.

Date Debbi: Cred.

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awuem toz Patented Oct. .18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUIDOLF LORANT, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TAIBULA'IING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ENDICOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY STRAIGHT AND COMPLEMENT PUNCH Application filed July 5, 1929, Serial No. 876,150, and in Germany August 20, 1928.

The invention concerns a punching machine for perforating tabulating cards and has for its principal object the provision of such a machine in which a single controlling operation such as depressing a key for example may control punching in a plurality ofcolumns of a card.

Another object of the invention is to provide for punching actual numbers and their complements in difl'erent card columns through a single group of controlling operations.

Still another object is to provide for punching single columns in certain positions of the card and to provide for punching a plurality of columns simultaneouslyin other registering positions of the card.

Still another object is to provide for selecting at will the particular card registering positions which are to receive duplicate or straight and complementary punching.

Tabulating cards are used for controlling automatic accounting machines and are divid ed into columns in which numerical or alphabetical data may be represented by perforations. In connection with a numerical system, each card column is assigned to a denominational order and the perforations are differently spaced in the column to represent the particular digit in the order. Ordnarily the punching machines for perforating these cards control punching for one column only at a time. For example, if a key is depressed, the punches are set up to punch a particular column and then through suitable escapement mechanism the key connections are transferred with respect to the card so that the mechanism is conditioned to control punching for thenext column.

The present case contemplates punching in a plurality of card columns from a single controlling operation such as the depression of the punching machine keys. multiple punching finds numerous uses it is particularly useful in connection with subtraction by automatic machines.

Subtraction is carried out by adding the complements of the actual numbers and in some cases both the actual numbers and complements are punched on the tabulating card,

While such F the two being entered intoseparate accumulators. Under this system a debit card enters its actual value into one accumulator-and its complement into another and a credit card enters its complement into the one accumulator and its actual value into the other. In this manner either a positive or a negative balance may be indicated, a balance, if positive, occurring on one accumulator and ifnegative, on the other. Machines operating on this principle are well known and one is described in the copending application of Bryce, Serial No. 119,803, filed July 1, 1926. The present case is not concerned with a tabulating machine but solely with the punching through which straight and complementary punching on tabulating cards may be accomplished.

Generally speaking, certain columns of the cards are assigned to receive the debit and credit entries, one of which should be an actual number and the" other a complement. The remaining columns on the card are used for classification and other data so that these columns must be handled individually. To this end each key is provided with a pair of selectors which may determine punching in two card columns a given distance apart.

Adjustable means are provided to incapaci tate one of the selecting means at will so that only the other remains operative and this adjustable means is further adjustable so that different columns may be selected for multiple punching, adapting the rest of the card to single punching.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a well known form of key operated punch equipped with a punch selecting device according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the punch shown in ig. 1; r

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the twin sets of punch selecting mechanisms being a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig.4 is a detail section showing the punch selecting levers and bars and the interposers; Fig. 5 is a section at right angles to Fig. 4;; Fig. 6 is a tabulating card perforated by the 26, to 35 of this card are marked Debit and columns 36 to-45 are marked Credit. One of these groups of columns receives an actual number'and the other receives its complement.

The corresponding columns in each of these groups are'punehed simultaneously and by a single operation, that is, the zero perforation in column 26 and the nine perforation in column 36 are selected at the same time and by depression of a single key. In like manner the two perforation in column 27 and the seven perforation in column 37 are selected by a single key operation and so on for the remaining columns of the groups. Thecard in this case has been punched with the actual number and its nine complement. which is standard practice, the additional unit in the units column of the complement -which is necessary for the true complement bein added automatically by the tabulating mac ine in the well known manner. Itis quite possible, of course, according to the invention to punch the,true or ten complement, if desired, or in fact to punch the same numbers inboth groups of columns or numbers which have not the relation of actual values and complements. For the sake of simplicity, however, the machine has been illustrated to punch actual numbers and nine complements.

The general operation of the punch may be understood from Fig.. 1. -A group of punches is shown at 10 whichpunches are ocated in rows corresponding to the card columns and each row contains a punch for each index point position of the column. These punches are selected for operation by interposers 11 of which' one is provided for each unch. The interposers and punches are se ected for operation column by column by means of selecting mechanism carried by a movable carriage 12, which through suit able escapement mechanism travels from column to column in steps, to set up the interoser bars 11. As soon as the interposer bar or one column is set up the carriage escapes to the next column in readiness to set up its interposer bar. The punch selection for the several columns is effected through a key board 13 having a key 14 for each index point position in an ear column, these keys settin up the se ecting mechanism through individual Bowden wires 15 connecting the key board with the unch selecting mechanism.

Referring to igs. 2 and 4, each key when depressed pushes and displaces a correspondingBowden wire 15 whichcarries at its end a plunger 16 cooperating with one of a group of slides 17, one slide being provided for each Bowden wire and key. Each slide is provided with a pair of downwardly extending lugs 21 and 22 which cooperate with punch selector levers 23 and 24 having attached selector rods 25 and 26. The selector rods are normally held elevated by springs 27 and 28 rods 26 correspond in number to the inter-' poser bars 31 in a single row.

When a slide 17 is displaced by depression of a key the corresponding rods 25 and 26 are lowered therefore depressing the corresponding interposer bars 31. When so depressed the interposer bars are locked in down position by a locking bar 32 which the right in Fig. 5 by a spring 33. he lowering 0 any interposer cams-this bar to the left and when the interposer is completely "lowered the bar snaps, into a suitable notch 34 to hold the interposer depressed until the locking bar positivelyis restored. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be noted that owing to the peculiar shapeof the slides 17 the interposer corresponding to the actual number Wlll be selected in one column of interposers while the corresponding complement will be selected in the other column for the digits from zero to nine. In the remaining two columns the slides are straight and if desired,- may punch the same number in the eleventh or twelfth position of the card column.

The selecting mechanism comprising the slides 17 flexibly connected to the key board through the Bowden wires 15, the selectinglevers 23 and 24 and selecting bars 25 and 26 are all mounted on a movable carriage 12 arranged to move from column to column under control of esca ement mechanism. This carriage is provide with trolley wheels 34 and 35 which roll on suitable rails 36 and 37 to permit movement of the carriage. As

shown in Fig. 1 the carriage is drawn to the right by'means of a tape 41 wound on a spring actuated drum 42. Movement of the carriage to the left tensions a spring in the drum and thus tends to move the carriage back to the right but the movement to the right is con trolled in step by step fashion by an escapement operated by the punch selectors.

A gear 43 on the carriage meshes with a rack 44 on the machine frame. Fixed to the gear 43 is a ratchet wheel 45 cooperatiiv with escapement pawls 46 and 47. Pawl 4' is a retaining pawl which normally holds the ratchet wheel and therefore the gear 43 to prevent movement of the carriage to the left except under escapement control. The paw! 46 is fast on shaft 48 and the retaining pawl is ressed to gagement with ratchet wheel 45, to prevent its turnin temporarily. This movement of pawl 46 t rough pin 52 raises the retaining pawl 47 and due to a loose mounting of the atter it moves into position to engage the next tooth of the ratchet wheel. "When the lever 23 is restored by spring 27 immediate- 1y after release of the key, the shaft 48 rocks back and allows the ratchet wheel to escape one tooth thereby through the gear 43 and rack 44 moving the selector carriage to the next column. This operation is repeated at each punching operation until the interposers 31 are set up for the complete card.

The punches proper are shown at 10 in Fig. 5, being guided by guide plate 61 and stripped plate 62. Registering with the stripper plate is a die plate 63 spaced slight- I 1y therefrom to permit a tabulating card 64 which is to be punched to be inserted between them. After the punches for the complete card have been set up in the manner described, the structure consisting of the die plate 63 and stripper plate 62 is raised bringing the head of the punches into cooperation with the interposers 31. Any interposer which is lowered will prevent upward movement of the corresponding punch to effect a perforation in that position. The other punches, being unimpeded, are lifted by the card and do not effect punching.

After the punching operation the. interposers 31 are restored by releasing the locking bars 32 permitting the springs 65 to raise the interposers to their normal position. Cooperating with each-locking bar is a lever 66 operated by the card carriage when it is restored to the left in Figs. 1 and 2. The carriage may be restored by grasping a handle 67 and forcing it to the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. This handle is pivoted to permit slight rot-ative movement and a lower extension 68 carries a pin cooperating with a-slot in lever 69 which is pivoted at 70. The lever 69 (see also Fig. 5) carries a roller- 71 adjacent to the levers 66. The slight rotation of the handle when the carriage is restored depresses the lever 69 causing the roller to cooperate with cam surfaces on levers 66 and rock them counterclockwise causing each lever as the roller passes to press its corresponding locking bar 32 to the left releasing the interposer bars 31. A complete movement of the carriage to the left into position for starting a new punching operation thus restores all the selecting mechanism in readiness for the new punching operation.

As previously explained, it is desired to punch only single columns on certain card areas and this may be effected by incapacitating the punch selecting mechanism con-- sisting of levers 24 and. selector rods 26 (see Fig. 4). A comb plate 75 (Figs. 3 and 4) guides the upper end of" the selector levers 24. S ring 76 tends to move the comb until its en strikes the bar 77 fast to the machine frame. In this position of the comb the upper ends of the levers 24 are out of alinement with the lugs 22 on the slides 17 so that the operation of these slides does not affect the levers 24 and selector bars 26. A cam member 78 slidably mounted in the bar 77 so as to be adjustable for different columns has cam surfaces 79 which as the carriage reaches the column in which multiple punching is to start cams the combs 75 against the action of its spring 76 bringing the end of levers 24 into the path of lugs 22. Thereupon multiple punching occurs until the cam member 77 clears the comb 75 permitting its spring 76 to restore it with the levers 24 to inoperative position. The cam member 78 is attached to the bar 77 by means of a slot as shown in Fig. 5, so that the cam member may be set to different positions to select different columns for multiple punching.

A modification through which an electrically controlled punch may have these same functions is illustrated in Fig.7. In this case the selector levers 23 and 24 are operated by separate Bowden wires 81 and 82 which are operated respectively by solenoids 83 and 84. Depression of the keys 14 in this case normally closes circuits by means of contacts 85 and 86 energizing both corresponding solenoids 83 and 84 to operate the Bowden wires and set the selecting levers 23 and 24. As in the prior case single column punching may be effected by incapacitating the solenoids 84 controlling selector levers 24. The circuits of solenoids 84 for this purpose extend through contacts 91 which are controlled by the cam member 78, the cam member closing these contacts only in certain selected columns and opening them in the remaining columns whereupon the effect is the same as in the mechanical modification previously described.

I claim:

1. A punching machine for perforating tabulating cards comprising punching mechanism, a plurality of control members equal in number to the perforation receiving positions in a single card column and selecting devices controlled thereby for determining punch operation in all the columns to perforated column by column, said selecting devices in- 12 eluding mechanism settable upon a singleoperation of the control members for simultaneously-determining punching of related data in a plurality of spaced card fields.

2. A punching machine for perforating 13o tabulating cards comfprising punching mechanism, a plurality 0 control members equal in number to the perforation receiving positions in asingle card column and selecting devices controlled thereby for determining unch o ration column by column, said seiecting evices including mechanism for determining punch operation in direct relationship to the control members in one ,card field and in complementary relationship in another card field whereby actual numbers and y,

their complements may be entered on a card through a single controlling operation.

3. A punching machine for perforating tabulating cards comprising punching mechanism, a plurality of control members equal in number to the perforation receiving positions in a' single card column and operable to determine punch selection column by column, punch selecting mechanism including'a pair of punch selectors for each control member to simultaneously govern punching in spaced card fields to effect multiple field punching and means for normally disabling one of each pair of selectorsto efiect single column punching in one field.

4. A punching machine for perforating tabulating cards comprising punching mechanism, a plurality of control members equal in number to the perforation receiving positions in a single card column and operable to determine punch selection column by column,

punch selecting mechanismincluding a pair of punch selectors for each control member to simultaneously govern punching in spaced card fields one of said selectors being arranged to select punching of a true number and the other its complement and means for normally disabling the complement selector in one of the fields.

5. A punching machine for perforating tabulating cards comprising punching mechanism, a plurality of control members equal in number to the perforationreceiving positions in a single card column and operable to determine punch selection column by column, punch selecting mechanism including a pair of punch selectors for each control member to simultaneously govern punching in spaced card fields and means to normally disable one of said selectors in one field and means adjustable to different columnar positions to overcome said disabling means.

6. A punching machine for perforating tabulating cards comprising punching mechanism, a plurality of control members equal in number to the perforation receiving positions in a single card column and operable to determine punch selection column by column,

punch selecting mechanism including a pair of punch selectors for each control'member one of which governs selection of a true number punching in one card field and the other of which governs selection of the complementary number punching in another card I field, and means to normally disable the com plementary number punch selector to 'rmit punching of true numbers without their corresponding complements.

7. A punching machine for erforating tabulating cards comprising punching mechanism, control mechanism for selecting the same for punching o ration and coordinated devices interme iate the control and punching mechanism to effect simultaneous selection of a true number punching and its complement on difierent fields of a card.

8. A punching machine for perforating tabulating cards comprising punchin mechanism, control mechanism for selecting the same for punching operation, a group of )airs of simultaneously operable coordinated evices intermediate the control and punching mechanisms one device of said pairs for controlling true number punching in one card field and the other for controlling complementary number card field and means or disabling the complementary number devices in their fields.

9. A punching machine for 'erforating tabulating cards comprising punc ing mechanism, control mechanism for selecting the same for punching operation, a group of pairs of simultaneously operable coordinated devices intermediate the control and punching mechanisms, one device of said' pairs forcontrolling true number punch in one card field and the other for controlling complementary number unchin in another card field and means or disa ling the mentary number devices in one field.

10. A machine for operatin on tabulating cards having columns of in ex point positions, comprising recording mechanism to record in said columns, control members etzual in number to the index point positions 0.

a single card column, and selecting devices controlled thereby for determining the recording operation in all the card columns one column at a time, said selecting devices including mechanism effective upon a single operation of the control members to simultaneously determine the recording of related.

data in a plurality of spaced card columns.

11. A machine for pcrforatin tabulating cards having parallel dex point positions, comprising a pluralitv of punches, a plurality of control members equal in number to the number of index point positions of a single card column, and selecting devices controlled thereby for determining punch operation in all the card columns, one column at a time, said selecting devices including mechanism effective upon a single operation of the control members for simultaneously determining punching of related data in horizontally spaced, parallel, card columns.

12. A punching machine for perforating tabulating cards, comprising a gang punch,

punching in anothervertical co unins of in-.

comple- .100

a plurality of control members, selecting devices operated by said members to simultaneously select the punches to perforate a card with related data in different 'cardcolumns, means for feeding the punch selecting devices and card relatively the distance between adjacent columns after each punch selection to successively select the punches for operation one column after another, and means for operating'the punches after the selection in 'all the columns to be punched has been effected.

13. A punching, machine, comprising punches for perforating cards, a plurality of control members equal in number to the perforation-receiving positions of a card column, devices operable to simultaneously select the punches to perforate a card with related data in different card columns, and means for feeding the selecting devices and card relatively after each punching selection to render the same control members effective to select the punches for perforating successive card columns. i i

14. A punching machine comprising. punches to perforate a card having parallel columns, 'control means operable to jointly and dependently determine the punching of a plurality of spaced card columns, and means for suppressing selection of the punching in one of said columns upon the same 0 eration of the control means.

15. 1 punching machine comprising columns of punches arranged in gang formation, control means operable to simultaneously select the punches in spaced columns for operation, and means for normally rendering the same operation of the control means ineffective to select punches in one of aforesaid columns.

16. A device of the class described, comprising record-efiecting elements for recordmg on a tabulating record sheet, control means operable to selecta plurality of the elements jointly and dependently for operation in spaced columns of means for normally suppressing selection of the record-effecting elements in one of said columns upon the same operation of the control means.

17; A device ofthe class described, comprising elements for recording true numbers and their complements on a record sheet, means operable to select the elements for the true and complemental recording operation, and means for rendering the same operation of the selecting means inefiectivejto cause the complemeiital recording;

18. A machine ofthe class described, comprisingelements for recording true numbers and their complements in spaced fields of a record sheet, means including electrical devices and electrical circuits therefor. for selecting the recording elements to operate, and means effective during the selecting opnature.

the sheet, and

eration to vary the circuits for determining whether in certain fields the selecting means selects the elements to record true numbers only or to record true numbers and their complements,

19. A punchingmachine comprisin punches adapted to perforate'a record card with ,true numbers and their complements, electrical control devices therefor including electrical circuits and switches therein, and a device settable for predetermining the opening or closing of said switches during the selecting operation to determine operation of the punches to perforate true numbers only or true numbers and their complements. 20. A punching machine for recording on tabulating cards, compris ng recording mechanism, a plurality of control members. equal in number to the record-receiving positions in a single card column, and selecting devices controlled thereby for determining recording operation, said selecting devices including electrical devices, circuits therefor, and switches controlled by said members for determining recording operation in direct relation to the control members in one card field and in complementary relationship'in.

another card field whereby actual numbers and their complements may be entered on a card through a single controlling operation.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my sig- RUDOLF LORANT. 

